MIDDLE ORDER FAIL LIKE BRYSON'S NAGS! - SHAT away 8.5.10

14 May 2010

As players, officials & supporters arrived at Skelmanthorpe they were greeted with what seemed like sub zero temperatures. If you were a slawit fan things got worse as Wasim Jaffer rolled up in his new automobile kindly provided by Shat with his name emblazoned upon it. Welshy who strangely went out to toss up in shorts won it and elected to bat. The discussion beforehand was to bat time and Holty & Wajid went about doing this by being very watchful. They were facing the consistent Glover and the left arm swing bowling of Crosland. Crosland made the first breakthrough removing Holty who snicked one when pushing forward. Picko then came to the crease and settled down straight away. Wajid who noticeably was actually leaving balls alone looked solid and waited for the bad ball. He had got into the twenties when he went after a wide one from Crosland and could only find the safe hands of Jaffer at point. This seemed to be the cue for the strangely familiar middle order collapse. Welshy hit Glover straight in the air and departed. New recruitment Greg Alexander from Holmfirth came and went after getting bogged down by the darts of Jaffer. Ijaz was next to join Picko at the crease and was swiftly bowled by Glover who was whirling away from the clubhouse end. This was all too similar to Kirkburton as Scott continued to play some lovely shots and looked in no trouble as the rest of the team floundered around him. Ronan on his return from an ankle injury came to the crease and seemed to get a harsh decision from what looked like a ball going down leg. Ronan;s response of ‘Really?’ to the decision seemed to sum that one up. The rest of the lower order faded away with only Ibby making it to double figures at the end. Scott was the last man to go making another fantastic 85 but with the lack of support 184 was just not good enough. Glover finished with 5 wickets after bowling through and deserved some credit for a tidy spell. After the splendid tea’s most Slawit players just wanted to have a nap but instead it was out into the arctic to have a go and trying to remove the machine that is Jaffer. He opened up with Safraz and made a steady start. Ibby who is bowling well with good pace got rid of our old friend, Taxi driver, Purveyor of cricket equipment and ex Slawiter, Safraz cheaply (yet again Saffy!!) and that was followed up with a debut wicket for Greg Alexander removing their number 3 whose name escapes me ( Editor’s note, Rashid) who by the looks of him is enjoying the culinary delights of Shat at Tea time. Sykes then came to the crease and blocked everything whilst Jaffer effortlessly moved to a chanceless half century and things were looking bleak. Ijaz had a go to not much avail. Picko came on at the other end and Jaffer played and missed. Bambi & Monty agreed that this would anger Jaffer and so it proved as he began to dispatch everyone to every part of Shat much to the delight of the small crowd huddling in the clubhouse. Jaffer brought up his ton off Monty and then lost the 2nd ball with a huge 6. The ‘dog’ ball was then produced out of desperation and Jaffer was told to try not to lose this one. He then hit Monty down the ground again. This time though Ijaz was there and unlike last week held on. Jaffer departed for 115 but the game was up now though and Shat won by 7 wickets. The effort in the field and with the ball was good but with a middle order as reliable as Harry Bryson’s horse racing tips currently doing the rounds at the club, which are subsequently having a distinct effect on the lad’s popularity and our Bank Accounts. A BIG improvement is needed by all.